Gadolinium Contrast Used in MRI Can Cause NSF
Gadolinium contrast agents have long been used in Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) to enhance the quality of images, but in some patients, it can have a toxic affect, causing a condition known of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF). It is injected into the bloodstream right before an individual undergoes an MRI. The agent helps the MRI computer differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue. In 2006, researchers discovered that the use of Gadolinium based contrast agents had a direct correlation to the development of NSF in patients with pre-existing kidney problems. The FDA then warned that the agents were tied to a number of NSF cases. At that time the FDA warned physicians to screen patients for kidney problems prior to using a Gadolinium based contrast agent during MRIs. In May 2007, the FDA requested that the manufactures of the five Gadolinium contrast agents (including Ominiscan, Magnevist and OptiMark) used in MRIs include a boxed warning on their labels highlighting the risk they pose to patients with kidney problems.
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